NATIONAL DISH OF BHUTAN
EMA DATSHI - (CHILI AND CHEESE STEW)
Ema Datshi, also transliterated as Ima Datshi, is Bhutan's national dish. The fiery concoction of green peppers and cheese is eaten in Bhutan almost daily, often accompanied by Bhutanese red rice. The stew is so fiery that I was afraid of both making it and eating it - one account of a couple of foreigners who ate it in Bhutan has them crying while eating it and feeling its effects until the next morning. They recommend that you coat your tongue with rice before spooning the stew into your mouth. I'm not a fan of hot cuisine in general (I usually order my curries "medium" and even then I often sweat), so this stew was intimidating. Still, I had to make it, so I decided to do it in such a manner that it would still be edible to me. The solution: seeding the peppers. That worked remarkably well, the stew was still spicy but not terribly so, and you could actually taste it! Indee